The Amulet of Samarkand: The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1

Nathaniel is eleven-years-old and a magician's apprentice, learning the traditional art of magic. All is well until he has a life-changing encounter with Simon Lovelace, a magician of unrivaled ruthlessness and ambition. When Lovelace brutally humiliates Nathaniel in public, Nathaniel decides to speed up his education, teaching himself spells far beyond his years. With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all and summons Bartimaeus, a five-thousand-year-old djinni, to assist him.

Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase, Book 1

A sinister problem has occurred in London: all nature of ghosts, haunts, spirits, and specters are appearing throughout the city, and they aren't exactly friendly. Only young people have the psychic abilities required to see - and eradicate - these supernatural foes. Many different Psychic Detection Agencies have cropped up to handle the dangerous work, and they are in fierce competition for business.

Artemis Fowl: Artemis Fowl, Book 1

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genuis, and, above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn't know what he's taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren't the fairies of bedtime stories, they're dangerous! Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl is a riveting, magical adventure.

Elizabeth's Legacy: Royal Institute of Magic, Book 1

Two years after his parents' sudden disappearance, Ben Greenwood stumbles upon a cryptic letter that could shed some light on their whereabouts. But before he can track them down, he'll need to find the mysterious organization that sent the letter: The Royal Institute of Magic. To succeed, Ben will have to navigate a land filled with fantastic creatures and spellshooters, where magic can be bought and sold, to unravel an ancient family secret that could hold the key to defeating an evil the institute has been fighting for the last 500 years.

The Land: Founding: A LitRPG Saga: Chaos Seeds, Book 1

In The Land: Founding, the first volume of the award winning Chaos Seeds saga, demons and angels toy with the lives of unwitting humans. Gamers sign away their souls in unread contracts as they log online each day. One at a time, these people are stolen, mind and soul, into a world of magic and adventure that operates by the same laws as the game they worshiped at for years.

Sabriel

Ever since she was a tiny child, Sabriel has lived outside the walls of the Old Kingdom, away from the random power of Free Magic, and away from the Dead who won't stay dead. But now her father, the Mage Abhorsen, is missing, and to find him Sabriel must cross back into that world.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob): Bobiverse, Book 1

Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it's a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street. Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets.

Sufficiently Advanced Magic: Arcane Ascension, Book 1

Five years ago Corin Cadence's brother entered the Serpent Spire - a colossal tower with ever-shifting rooms, traps, and monsters. Those who survive the spire's trials return home with an attunement: a mark granting the bearer magical powers. According to legend, those few who reach the top of the tower will be granted a boon by the spire's goddess. He never returned. Now it's Corin's turn. He's headed to the top floor, on a mission to meet the goddess.

The Thief

Eugenides, the queen's thief, can steal anything - or so he says. When his boasting lands him in prison and the king's magus invites him on a quest to steal a legendary object, he's in no position to refuse. The magus thinks he has the right tool for the job, but Gen has plans of his own.

Flametouched

Davon wants a quiet life, but the Queen orders her new clerk to delve into the affairs of the lovely Lady Hightower to uncover the truth about the mysterious plot. He discovers that powerful and prestigious conspirators don't like meddlesome clerks, and Davon must dodge bullets and increasing scrutiny, fearing the exposure of his past life. As the clues fall into place, Davon finds that the fate of Bittermarch and the Eternal Flame itself are in his flame-branded hands.

Monster Hunter International

Five days after Owen Zastava Pitt pushed his insufferable boss out of a 14th story window, he woke up in the hospital with a scarred face, an unbelievable memory, and a job offer. It turns out that monsters are real. All the things from myth, legend, and B-movies are out there, waiting in the shadows. Some of them are evil, and some are just hungry. Monster Hunter International is the premier eradication company in the business. And now Owen is their newest recruit.

Dragonwatch

In the long-awaited sequel to Fablehaven, the dragons who have been kept at the dragon sanctuaries no longer consider them safe havens but prisons, and they want their freedom. The dragons are no longer our allies....

The Way of the Warrior: Young Samurai, Book 1

August 1611. Jack Fletcher is shipwrecked off the coast of Japan - his beloved father and the crew lie slaughtered by ninja pirates. Rescued by the legendary sword master Masamoto Takeshi, Jack's only hope is to become a samurai warrior. And so his training begins. But life at the samurai school is a constant fight for survival. With courage in his heart and his sword held high, can Jack prove himself and face his deadliest rival yet?

David says:"Anyone who is a fan of Rangers Apprentice will love these books"

Magyk: Septimus Heap, Book One

Who is Septimus Heap? A lost child? An ordinary hero? A powerful wizard? The Magyk begins here. The first book in this enthralling new series by Angie Sage leads listeners on a fantastic journey filled with quirky characters and magykal charms, potions, and spells. Magyk is an original story of lost and rediscovered identities, rich with humor and heart.

The Keepers: The Box and the Dragonfly

From the moment Horace F. Andrews sees the sign from the bus - a sign with his own name on it - everything changes. The sighting leads him underground, to the House of Answers, a hidden warehouse full of mysterious objects. But there he finds only questions. What is this curious place? Who are the strange, secretive people who entrust him with a rare and immensely powerful gift? And what is he to do with it?

The Red Sea: The Cycle of Galand, Book 1

When Dante Galand was just a boy, his father, Larsin, sailed away to make his fortune. And never returned. Since then, Dante has become a great sorcerer. A ruler. A destroyer of kings. And he's just learned that his father is living on a forbidden island at the edge of the known world. Where he's dying of a mysterious plague. In the company of his friend, the swordsman Blays, Dante travels to the island. There, his magic can do nothing for his father.

Howl's Moving Castle

A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book and ALA Notable and Best of the Year in Young Adult Fiction, Howl's Moving Castle is by acclaimed fantasy writer Diane Wynne Jones amd was transformed into an Academy Award nominated animated motion picture by Hayao Miyazaki. On a rare venture out from her step-mother's hat shop, Sophie attracts the attention of a witch, who casts a terrible spell transforming the young girl into an old crone.

Publisher's Summary

Two years have passed since young apprentice magician Nathaniel became famous by foiling the ruthless Simon Lovelace. Now 14, Nathaniel is ambitiously climbing the ranks of the magicians' government. The Prime Minister himself has placed Nathaniel in charge of capturing the Resistance, a group of unruly commoners working to undermine the magicians' empire. But after several failed attempts, Nathaniel is forced to admit he can't do it alone. With his career on the line, he reluctantly summons his only hope for success, the 5,000-year-old wise-cracking djinni Bartimaeus.

The duo is reunited just in time: the Resistance is growing more audacious than ever. And to make matters worse, a seemingly invulnerable clay golem is wreaking destruction throughout London, sending the entire city into pandemonium. With time running out, the young magician and his uncontrollable djinni must find the source of the golem's power, a task they quickly learn will involve much more than they ever anticipated.

In the ensuing chaos, Nathaniel and Bartimaeus will be chased through the streets of Prague, hunt a dancing skeleton across London's skyline, encounter the horror of the dreaded Night Police, and meet a surprising new ally. Together, these three will have to go head-to-head with the fearsome golem before the mysterious identity of its master is finally revealed.

I have been reading SF and Fantasy for 45 years and thought the first book of this trilogy was a riot. The second book is even better. Can't wait for the next one. Oh, by the way if you are looking for the tradional hero in this story, like Harry Potter, one will not appear, at least so far. Great fun, very funny, very very scarey, goodbye Potter, I've been Demonized, and I like it!!!!!!!!!!!

If you liked The Amulet of Samarkand, you'll like this one. We get some of the story from Kitty's point of view and find out why she's part of the Resistance. Nathaniel isn't any better than he needs to be, and Bartimaeus offers copious sarcasm. Read by the fantastic Simon Jones.

Some people have found this second volume of the trilogy a letdown after the superb "Amulet of Samarkand," but I actually liked it better. A very satisfying ending sets up the final-volume finale. Simon Jones is at the top of the all-time great narrators list, and when he's matched with terrific characters and a suspenseful story, it's audio bliss.

Two years have passed since the events of Amulet of Samarkand. Nathaniel, now called John Mandrake to his colleagues, is a member of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the same department formerly headed by his late former master, the cowardly Arthur Underwood. Now apprenticed to a new master, Jessica Whitwell, Nathaniel is currently involved in a mostly fruitless hunt for a group of rogue commoners known as the Resistance, who wage small attacks on Magicians' dwellings and businesses to steal magical objects which they hope to use to eventually overthrow the cruel government. That operation is sidelined by a series of attacks on London by an unknown and seemingly invulnerable creature. Finding himself in peril of his life, Nathaniel summons the Djinni Bartimaeus, who discovers that the creature responsible for the destruction of many London businesses is a Golem,, sending Nathaniel to the ancient city of Praague, where such magic originated.
As with Amulet, narrator Simon Jones does an excellent job of narrating, bringing life to old and new characters alike, from Kitty Jones to the Afrit Honorius. If you haven't read this series yet, you definitely should. It may take a bit of getting used to since the magic isn't as pure as in, say, Harry Potter, but it's definitely innovative and interesting.

My son (13) and I have both enjoyed Book One, The Amulet of Samarkand. I just finished listening to the audio edition of Golem's Eye. The narration is very well done, Bartimaeus is as articulate and witty as ever, and the characters are more defined now as the story line has begun to flesh out. Good ending too... resolution to the current story, but you're stil left looking forward to the next installment. Slightly darker and much more demon oriented than Harry Potter, the humor and pithiness of Bartimaeus makes it well worth the ride. Great fun!

This book had me cracking up. The reader fit in the accents for each character perfectly. Bartemaeus is just as smart-mouthed as usual, his first confrontation with "Nat" is a must-hear. Worth buying, as long as you liked the first book.

This trilogy is one of the best, most entertaining series I have listened to in an extremely long time. Stroud does a great job keeping things moving with plenty of witty repartee. And I can't say enough about Simon Jones! He is now my favorite narrator- and I'm insanely picky! After I listened to the first book, I bought the rest of the series immediately! Well worth your credits. I listen to kids books when my young children are around so that they aren't hearing profanity and adult content...if I'm listening with headphones, I'm often listening to Preston/Child books and I save the children's books for when we are in the car. Not so with this series! I had to listen to them till I finished, whether it was in the car or with headphones.

Some people have found this second volume of the trilogy a letdown after the superb "Amulet of Samarkand," but I actually liked it better. A very satisfying ending sets up the final-volume finale. Simon Jones is at the top of the all-time great narrators list, and when he's matched with terrific characters and a suspenseful story, it's audio bliss.

This is probably the BEST audiobook I have ever listened to. The story is fantastic and the NARRATION by Simon Jones sets the standard for all others to be judged against. I probably have 100 audiobooks in my collection and you quickly learn to follow the NARRATOR almost as much if not more than the author. Simon Jones is the best I have heard so far. In this trilogy Jonathan Stroud gives Simon Jones a fantastic story to bring to life....I just can't say enough about the story or the narrator....

I really enjoyed this installment of the series. Its far better than the first, which I liked well enough to buy the second, but this one has much more in depth character development. We get to know Kitty much more, but hear less from Bartimaeus this time around. If you enjoyed the first book, it only gets better. Just bought the third.